Robert Frost's The Exposed Nest

Summary: Robert Frost's The Exposed Nest is discussed in terms of symbolism and the historical context of World War I. His devices, including aesthetic distance, tone shifts, and allusions, are designed to make the reader consider the poem's philosophical questions.

The title clearly gives the main idea of the plot, but it also symbolizes a philosophical question the poem brings to light. That question is about sheltering our young, keeping them innocent. The word "exposed" expresses Frost's feeling about sheltering the young birds, that they need shelter, because "exposed" conotates that it should have cover but is lacking. The "nest" in the title literally is the group of young birds, but it symbolizes all young, innocent life. "The Exposed Nest" was published in 1916, after the start of World War I. The urgent and important tone suggests that Frost felt serious and focused about the war. The allusions to the war include the negative outcome of the speaker meddling in another's life, paralleling the United States' involvement in World War I, though Frost would not have known the outcome yet at publication date. The young birds are also exposed...